What is ingress in the context of cable systems?

Ingress refers to unwanted signals that enter a cable system, which can lead to interference and degradation of the quality of the transmitted signals. In the context of cable systems, ingress typically occurs when external radio frequency (RF) signals or noise penetrate the network, causing disruption. This can result from faults in the cable insulation, poor connections, or environmental factors that compromise the cable shielding.

When unwanted signals enter the system, they can mix with the intended signals and potentially reduce the overall performance of the cable service, leading to issues such as reduced clarity in video signals, distortion in audio, or slower internet speeds. Understanding ingress is essential for technicians in diagnosing and troubleshooting signal problems within cable systems, as they must work to identify sources of ingress and mitigate their effects to ensure a high-quality customer experience.

In contrast, the other options describe aspects that do not accurately represent the concept of ingress, such as signal leakage out or proper signal flow, which focus on different phenomena within cable communications.